No Way Back
by JazzNProwl's sparklingAriaFyre
Summary: 3rd in series. Again the plot bunny has decided to abuse me in the wee hours of the morning. Takes place nearly 2 years after New Life.


Disclaimer: Animorphs? Buffy? Angel? Nope, not mine. I own dust bunnies.

Spoilers: BtVS- Post "Chosen"; AtS- "Not Fade Away"; Animorphs- Post # 48 "The Return"

A/N: Hello all! Yet another one-shot for my little series… number three to be exact. And yes this time I'm adding Angel the Series into it. Timeline wise I'm guessing, I really haven't decided, this would be a year or so after "New Life". And in regards to Animorphverse let's just say the war took longer than the stated three years in canon. Anyway, as I was saying...Our sweet little Cassie has been away from home for so long and now…well, just read.

No Way Back

Hey, I'm Cassie.

You all know this, you know my sitch, Yeerks, invasion, silent war, Slayer activation, Sunnydale Academy, demons, vamps, apocalypse, slayage. Five by five. Goddess, I spent too much time with Faith.

As I swayed across the dance floor I looked about spastically, trying to spot my quarry. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was freakin' _terrified. _ It's been almost two years since I have been back here. I mean, I feel…outta place, not mention exposed. I had nothing on me just my crucifix and a stake. I feel naked without my katana. But I was forbidden to bring it to the club. Too obvious. So, here I am…naked, not literally (though may as well be without my sword), moving to the music with some guy and girl, and looking for my former comrades in arms the Animorphs.

See, after nearly a year of training and spell casting, the Watchers Council was ready to extend our aid to my friends against the slugs from space. So here, I was being accompanied by the Scoobie Gang, meaning my ever so odd and sweet Watcher Xander, Willow, Buffy, Faith, the friendly vamps Spike and Angel (they joined the council a few months ago after the incident in LA with Wolfram & Hart and we, including me, had gone to lend a hand in the aftermath and found them and their two remaining allies almost dead), Giles, Dawn, and Andrew. They all insisted in coming cause who could seriously resist meeting an _actual alien?! _Andrew's and Xander's words not mine. Though I'm sure Ax will be overwhelmed by the bombardment by those two.

Speaking of Ax…BINGO! Found them. They're sitting by the counter. They look so _young_, but I knew better, they have been through hell and back, not literally, cause I knew what Hell was like, you know, with trying to stop it from taking over the Earth a bunch of times, I have seen it a few times. Not pretty. But I knew that despite that, I felt older than any of them. They didn't hold the scars I did, both physically and emotionally.

Assured our targets are not going anywhere, I signal to Spike, who promptly alerts the others. They all rise from their various seats and converge to the dance floor. We did this, so this way they could keep an eye on me, as I confronted my friends and not seem suspicious. Cause to the average person, I would be nothing but eye candy for them. And what pretty eye candy indeed. At least that was what Faith and Willow said. They and Spike dressed me, well, Spike helped pick out the clothes, the girls dressed me. Not that I'm saying I wouldn't mind Spike helping…I'm shutting up on that subject now. Giles had just started cleaning his glasses at the sight of me; Buffy, Dawn and Xander had leered and wolf whistled. I think Andrew drooled while Angel just smirked and nodded his approval.

But I do admit I felt hot. The black jeans were a little tight a smidgen long on me, but these _were_ Faith's and she's slightly taller than me. Thank Goddess Willow got me these heeled boots so it doesn't look bad, and boy was I surprised that I could now walk, let alone _fight, _in heels. Spike had wanted, at first wanted me in a halter or corset top. I refused. Instead he had chosen a teal long sleeved, empire waist, crushed velvet tunic top that flared pixie like at the hemline. My hair was down from my braids and straightened. And I know Rachel will freak when she realized I was wearing _makeup_! The only thing I could complain about was the top showed more cleavage than I liked. I was ignored. But all in all I was pretty pleased with the look.

I broke away from my dance partners and I approached the Animorphs. Tobias and Marco were the first to notice, seeing as they looked at me their eyes widen in shock. I felt a grin spread across my face. 'Not the same Cassie that left guys.' I thought smugly. I used my Slayer grace to glide to them and when I was a few feet away from their table I simply waved a bit. Marco elbowed Jake hard in his side, while Tobias grabbed Ax's shoulder and Rachel's hand. Jake glared at Marco until he noticed his staring. He turned to see and froze at the sight of me. My smile softened and I tilted me head to the side with a giggle. Rachel was the next to see me, her eyes widened in amazement and approval after she looked me over, then they turned to anger. Knew that would happen. Ax took a minute but when he saw me he nodded in acknowledgement. I grinned, and winked. "Hey guys. What's the what?"

It takes them a while to answer, except Ax, naturally. So in the mean time I ordered a soda from the bartender and grabbed a chair sitting upon it backwards, straddling it, and began to chat with our resident Andalite. I stretched and looked about and grinned at Buffy who was trying not laugh at the shock etched on the Animorphs faces. Spike just leered at me and waggled his eyebrows at me causing me to laugh and blush. Dead or not, Spike is pretty cute, though too much a wild child for my tastes. Xander could have him. And have him he does! Do you know how hot it is to see those two making out when they don't think anyone's around? Thank you, Goddess, for Slayer stealth! Well, it's VERY hot! The female members of the Scoobies agree with me as does Angel. Scarily enough.

I had caught them at it one night about a month ago while my group were patrolling. Spike had tagged along telling us the best ways to kill various demons, and other beasties, when we found a small group of fledges meandering about the cemetery. Xander sent Maria, River and Elliot, my best friends, a witch, a slayer and Watcher-in-training respectively, ahead to deal with them, stating it would be a good training session in teamwork for them. While Laurel (Watcher), Adam (Witch), and I followed as backup and to provide commentary from the peanut gallery and basically cheering them on. Anyway, after assured that my three amigos had the sitch well in hand, I went to check back with Xander and let him know they fledges were dust; Lo! And Behold there was Spike pinning my Watcher to a crypt with his tongue down his throat and groping him. I don't know how long I stood there watching (though by the small puddle of drool I noticed, it was awhile), but I snapped myself out of it, I eased away using every bit of stealth to sneak away, not that I needed to, those two were so lost on each other that it would have taken more than just little old me to bring them back from happy fun time land.

So, I backed off and proceeded to rush off back to the others and squeal, in a completely calm and mature matter, the news to my fellow Council charges. Naturally we all went back to watch and see if they notice we were staring. They didn't, as we didn't say a word, and they are really good teachers on being silent. Then we all just grinned and sang, "XANDER AND SPIKE SITTING IN A TREE K-I-S-S-I-N-G! FIRST COMES LOVE THEN COMES MARRIAGE THEN HERE COMES SPIKE WITH A BABY CARRIAGE!!" Needless to say, they were both surprised and not pleased. Especially after our little ditty, we all ran home and relayed the imagery to all those that resided at the Academy.

_But enough of that._ Back to the present.

I looked at each of my old friends and gave them a sad smile, "It's good to see you, guys."

"_Cassie?!_" Jake stared at me in disbelief. Then his face shut down, and he gave me a cool look, which I returned. "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, I thought you left this, us, all behind for your new fancy _prestigious_ school?" Marco smirked nastily.

Rachel remained silent though she glared at me her fists clenched. I winced internally. How was this going to affect her knowing she wasn't the tough one anymore? That I could break her gizzly morph, let alone her human self in half without breaking out in much of a sweat.

Ax just gave me a somewhat friendly smile and continued to ask me questions about the Academy, and how my life has been.

Tobias just stared then gave a weak smile and reached out to me and squeezed my hands as they draped over the back of my chair. "It's good to see you, Cassie. You look great."

I grinned and couldn't help but leer at him, at all of them, "Thanks, sweetcheeks. You don't look too bad yourself. Well, Hell, none you look that bad at all! Nummy Treats as my trainer, Spike, would say. Man, you guys all gone and went and became downright HOT."

I crowed internally when all the Animorphs, Ax included, blushed. I could hear Spike snicker along with Xander since Spike more than likely told him what I said. Soon I heard the entire gang start going and I couldn't hold it anymore and began to laugh. The Scoobies, after calming, made their ways to me and the others, I calmed and smirked at my friends.

"You guys look so cute all blushing like some virgin on her wedding night." Enter a darker shade of red. "Well, as much as I like to say this was a social call." I watched as my friends tense and I drawled, "But, I'm here on business. For my school and its sponsor who are also my employers." By then my trainers and teachers and mentors had flanked me and spread out around the table. The others grew even more tense and uneasy, when Willow quietly spoke a spell for some privacy for the next words out of my mouth.

"I'm," I allowed my newly forming English accent to come forward, "_we're_, here as representatives of the Council. The International Watchers Council would like extend our help in the war against the Yeerks."

"We would be a very powerful ally in this war and no, none here are hosts. We made sure of that. You are safe, Animorphs." Andrew stated in distant voice though all who knew him, Scoobies and I, knew he was trying very hard to act cool even when he was suppressing the need to jump up and down squealing like a little girl.

Willow didn't bother to stop herself, she smiled and bounced as she chirped, "I have a way to detect those icky poopy worms while in a host, so we could scan important figures to confirm if they have been compromised!"

Jake was pale but keeping his mask on, trying to hide the fact that he was afraid. That these adults knew about the Yeerks, were actually Controllers, that I was now a Controller and that they had lost. I read the same look on all their faces, and couldn't help but give them grin. Ax looked as if he would demorph right then and there and start fighting. Spike just smirked. Tobias just glared at him, at us, and hissed, "You slug infested wanna be punker!"

Spikes eyes flashed gold briefly , "OI! We aren't hosts, ya git! Mind you doubt one could survive in me brain, or Peaches as a matter of fact. Or the Whelp's" Spike smirked at Xander's indignant "HEY!" "All I'm gonna say is Cass here is telling the truth. None of us 'ere are gonna hurt you. We wanna help you get this soddin' wankers off our planet. We have our hands full enough as it is. We're just wantin' to lend a hand is all." Spike turned away heading back to Xander's side, I heard him mumble, "Stupid git."

"Like Cass said we wanna help. Any and all resources of ours will be at your disposal up and including our Slayers." Xander piped up, though he didn't look happy at the thought of any of us near the worms.

"Slayers? Are those groupies for the band?" Marco sneered.

"No." I replied a bit coldly. I shook my head and smiled. "Allow me to reintroduce myself." I got up and went to stand before Jake and Rachel. I stuck out my hand and smirked, "Hi. I'm Cassandra, the Vampire Slayer."

A/N: There! All done!


End file.
